Stump the band (thing)

Every now and then you'll see "Stump the Band" on the Late Show with David Letterman. Sometimes on Thursday nights you'll hear Dave announce that they've borrowed the old segment from Johnny Carson and can use it as long as they don't break it, and then Dave ventures out into the audience. He'll turn to bandleader Paul Shaffer and ask if he's ready to begin.

But wait! Poor Paul's all confused. He's wearing the Carnac the Magnificentturban and has a sealed envelope to his forehead! He usually gets a Carnac-style joke off before Dave tells him that he's doing the wrong segment, at which time Paul embarassingly removes the turban and the segment begins for real.

Dave asks up to three audience members if they know a song to stump the band with, and people always ask for some stupid little childhood song that nobody else knows because it was a fixture at their little elementary school back in 1964 or so, and the band is always stumped by it. It's OK, though, because everyone who plays "Stump the Band" wins a gift certificate to a local restaurant and a copy of the Live on Letterman music CD. Sometimes cuts of meat are given away as well.

Just like in Johnny's day the focus of the segment isn't on whether or not the band is stumped, but on Dave's interactions with the audience.